Apparatus for sterilizing and drying containers



Nov. 30 1926.

B. E. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR STERILQZING AND DRYING CONTAINERS Filed April 24. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MENTOR W A ITORNEY Nov. 30 1926.

B. E. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR STERILIZiNG AND DRYING CONTAINERS Filed April 24, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet Barf 7Zq/0r INVENTOR a Q ATTORNEY Nov. 30 1926.

B. E. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING AND DRYING CONTAINERS Filed April 24, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UMTED STATES BURT n. TAYLOR, or MOUNT van-non, new YORK, assrenon TO THE Bonnnn o'orr- I 1,608,634; PATENT OFFICE.

PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., 'A"-CORRQBAL L I ON OF-NEW JERSEY,.

nrrnnnrus .roit s'rnnrnrzine Ann pl grind oon'ramnns.

Application filed April 24, 192:; s ia iroaasnos."

The invention relates to an apparatus' for sterilizing and drying containers.

The invention is shown and described herein as particularly adapted for application to sterilizing and dryingthe relatively large containers or cans used for the convoyance of fresh milk. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not to be restricted to this purpose since it is applicable to the-sterilization and drying of other kinds of containers. For convenience of description and illustration only the invention is described as applied to and made part of an apparatus for cleansing, sterilizing and drying large containers or milk cans.

When the containers or cans in which fresh fluid milk is delivered to a canning or bottling establishment have been emptied, they are run through an apparatus by which they are Washed, sterilized and dried. Considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced in properly sterilizing and drying the cans. l[ have discovered that the difliculty in sterilizing and drying the cans is due to the fact that the apparatus heretofore used for this purpose operates in such a way as to induct or entrain into the cans during the sterilizing and drying operations the air surrounding the mouth of the cans.

The air of the room in which the apparatus is located is relatively cold and the drawing of this air into the can during the sterilizing operation tends to materially lower the temperature of the can, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the sterilizing fluid, which is usually steam. Lowering the temperature of the can during the sterilizing operation by drawing in air from the room also has a detrimental effect upon the drying operation. The hotter the can is when it is subjected to the drying operation the more quickly does the moisture contained therein evaporate from the inside surfaces of the can. The air of the room in which the apparatus is located is not only relatively cold but is usually saturated with moisture. It will be understood, therefore, that if this moisture laden air is drawn into the can during the drying operations, it will destroy the effectiveness of the blast ofliot dry air used for that purpose and leave particles of moisture adhering to the insides of the can when the can leaves the apparatus.

The. object of the present invention is to produce an improved apparatus for sterilizing and drying containers or cans by which the sterilizing and drying operations are carried on in such manner that not only is the induction or entrainment of the surrounding atmosphere into the container avoided, but the old air in the can is driven out in the first instance by the introduction of the sterilizing and drying fluids, so that the sterilizing and drying operations are eflectively performed. The invention is more fully described hereinafter and is particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of apparatus, sterilizing and drying cans, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through that portlon of an apparatus for cleansing milk cans in which the appara tus of the present invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, looking from the left; Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic detail of. part of the means for raising and lowering'the outer tube members; and Fig. 5 is a section through an inverted can with an outer tube member in operative position therein, and showing diagrammatically by means of arrows the action of the sterilizing or cleansing fluid in the can.

The method of sterilizing and drying containers or cans as practiced in the apparatus of the invention consists in introducing the sterilizing and drying fluids at the bot-- tom of each can so as thereby to cause the sterilizing and drying fluids to strike the bottom of the can in the first instance and then pass along the sides of the can and out through the open end thereof. In this way the old air in the can is driven out in the first instance and only the stream of sterilizing or drying fluid is active and effective on the interior of the can. By introducing the sterilizing or drying fluid only at the bottom of the can there can be no induction or entrainment of air from the outside into the can. At a result'of this method. or mode of operation the containers or cans treated will be properly sterilized and thoroughly dried irrespective of the atmospheric conditions of the room or other space in which the apparatus is located.

The introduction of the sterilizing or drying fluid into the can at the bottom thereof is effected by means of a movable tube or nozzle as indicated at 7 in Fig. 5. This tube v or nozzle is connected with a source of sterilizing or drying fluid which is not supplied to br n'ozzleiist c mews-amen cam which a azes; preheat isf-spolieno hereafter as the operative piosia ti'oii l of the tube or nozzle, the" valve- 1762511 th aub zor' nozzleuntil the free end 8 thereor lias-reamed substantially thebottom 9 anathema can *10. the-tube the limit of its in' trollinig'thesupply of "sterilizing or" drying fluid is then opened with the result of driv ing. out the old air from the'can without inducting'or entraining any of the room air intothe can, this mode of operation being clearly indicated by the small arrows. It will be understood that this mode of operation obtains whateverv the position of the container or can, whether vertical or horizontal. The'apparatus of the present invention being incorporated into and forming part of an apparatusfor cleaning milk cans which are conveniently fed through the apparatus in inverted position, the apparatus is shown and described as acting on the containers or cans while they are in inverted position. 1

The containers or cans to be treated by the apparatus of the present invention are advanced intermittently in inverted position along a runway generally indicated at 11, consisting of the angle-irons 12 and 13 supported on the inner ends of brackets 14 secured to the side walls 15 and 16 of the can cleansing machine or apparatus of which the apparatus of the present invention forms a part. The upper side of the apparatus is closed by-the top wall or ceiling 17 thereby- -making the apparatus as a whole a substantially enclosed structure to prevent egress of the cleansing and sterilizing fluids into the room where the structure is located. The brackets 14 are oppositely disposed and are arranged at intervals along the side walls 15 and 16. The cans are advanced a series of 18 is as usual in machines of this character.

The means-for effecting the sterilization and drying of the cans comprises a series of telescoping tubes or nozzles, each tube consisting of an inner stationary member and an outer movable member which is adapted to be inserted up into the can for the sterilizing or drying operation and then withdrawn therefrom. There may be any preferred number of telescoping tubes for performing the sterilizing operation and any preferred number. oftelescoping tubes forperforming the drying operation. In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, however,- only one tube for performing the sterilizing'operation is shown and two tubes for performing the drying operation. The sterilizing tube 'cons'istsof an inner member' 21 and an 'outeryrnember '22'. :The inner hiemoer 'is a; vertically"arfanged' pipe the appear; nd Of. Whi Cl1': -"telflli!iateS .bei'o'w the fif'uii'wa llyiandis connectdfatits lower end with of horizontally "arranged steam pipe 23 controlled-by the valve 26 and receiving" its' -supplyof steam from a convenientsource. The pipes 21 and 23 are'held in position by means of a bracket 24 supported on the top of a hot air chamber 25 which is an elongated box-like structure located in the lower part of the structure formed by the walls 15, 16 and 17.

Each tube for performing the drying operation consists of a vertically arranged inner member 27 and an outer member 28, of substantially the same height as the tube members 21 and 22. The inner tube member 27 communicates at its lower end with the hot air chamber 25 and is supported thereon by means of'the circular flange 29. The air in the chamber 25 is heated by means of the coil of steam pipes 30. Air under pressure is forced into the chamber 25 through thepipe 32 from a convenient source notindicated. The supply of air under pressure to the chamber 25 and thence up through the drying tubes and into the cans is controlled by the butterfly valve 33 0f usual construction.

The outer member 22 of the sterilizing tube and the outer members 28 of the drying tubes are supported at their lower ends in a frame work or tube support 34 consisting of the side rails 35 and 36. The lower end of the tube 21 is inserted in a block 37 and the lower ends of the tubes 28 are inserted in the blocks 38, which blocks are embraced between and fastened to the side rails 35 and 36. The block 37 is provided with a central aperture which closely embraces the outside of the inner tube member or pipe 21 and the blocks 38 are provided with central apertures which in like manner closely embrace the outside surfaces of the inner members 27. The side rails 35 and 36 are supported at their outer ends by cross-bars 40 and 41. The cross-pieces 42are provided to give rigidity to the side rails.

hen the cans have come to rest above the tubes the outer'tube members 22 and 28 are lifted and inserted into the cans until the upper ends 44 of the outer tube members are relatively close to the inverted-bots toms 45 of the cans, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1. When the outer tube members are in operative position, thatis, at the limit of their upward movement in the cans, the valves 26 and 33 are opened so that while the can 46 is undergoing the sterilizing treatment the cans 47' and 48 are being subjected to a blast of hot, dry air.

' into the cans an The means for raising and lowering the outer tube members 22 and 28 comprises the links 50 pivotally connected at their lower ends to the ears 51 rising from the ends of the cross-bars 40 and 4:1, and pivotally connected at their upper ends to the arms 52 fixed on the shafts 53 extending-transversely across the top of the structure and journalled in the bearing blocks 54 supported on the top wall 17. Mounted on theprojecting rear end of each shaft 53 is an arm 56. Pivotally connected with the free end of each arm 56 is a link 57, the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper end of a connecting rod 58, the lowerend of which is connected with a crank pin 59 projecting from the rim '0 a gear 60 mounted on the rear sideof the -wall 16 of the apparatus. The gear 60 is driven by a pinion 61 mounted on a shaft 62 journalled in a bracket 63 secured to the rear side of the wall 16. On the outer end of the shaft 62 is mounted a beltdriven pulley 64. The rotation of the gear 60, and therefore the rise and fall of the outer tube members 22 and 28, is in timed relation to the in termittent advance of the cans along the runway, so that the outer tube members 22 and 28 are rising and descending while the cans remain stationary and .the outer tube members remain in lowered position while the cans are moved from one station to the next succeeding station.

Fromthe foregoingdescription it will be understood that inasmuch as the outer tube members 22 and 28 are raised to operative positions within the cans before the valves 26 and 33 are opened, the discharge of the sterilizing and drying fluids into the interior of the cans drives out the old air contained in the cans without sucking in or entraining of the moisture laden and relatively cold air of the room. Consequently the efi'ectiveness of the steam supplied by the pipe 23 to the outer tube member 22in sterilizing the can 46 and in heating it is not diminished by any old air in the can, so that when the can 46 is advanced to the next station for receiving the first blast of hot, dry air, the can is still relatively hot, which fact aids in evaporating the moisture in the can in cooperation with the blast of hot air supplied by the outer tube member 28. In order to doubly insure a thorough and complete drying of the can which is usually efiected by the first outer tube member 28 the can is subjected toa second blast of hot, dry air from the second outer tube member 28.

Having. thus described the invention what -I claim as new is 1. An apparatus for sterilizing and drying containers comprising, a series of telescoping tubes, each telescoping tube consisting of a movable outer member and a stationary inner member, means for supporting'the movtainers located over the tubes, meansl for advancmgthe containers in inverted posltlon along the runway, means for raislng the outer members of the tubes to bring the upper ends thereof relatively close tothe inverted bottoms of the containers, and means for supplying sterilizing and drying fluids to the tubes when they are at the limit. of

their raised positions. V

2. Anapparatus for treatmg a series of inverted contalners to a' series of sterilizing and. drying operations comprising, a run-- means for supporting the movable outer members of the. tubes and for raising'them up into the inverted containers until the upper ends of the movable tubeqnembers are rel atively close to the inverted bottoms of the containers, and means for supplying sterilizing and cleansing fluids to the tube members when they are in operative position.

3. An'apparatus for subjecting a contain- .er to a treating operation comprising, a runway .on which the container is adapted to be moved in inverted position, means for advancin the container along the runway, aitelescoping tube located under the runway consisting of a stationary inner member and a movable outer-member, means forjsupporting the outer tube member and for rais ing it up into the inverted container until the upper end of the outer tube member is relatively close to the inverted bottom of the container, and means-for supplyinga treating fluid to the tube when the outer tube member is at the limit of its raised position. I

4. An apparatusfor operating on containers comprising, means for supporting a container during the operation which is performed upon it, atelescoping tube located opposite the opening in the container, said tube consisting of astationary inner member and a movable outer member, means for supporting the outer tube member, means for inserting the outer tube member into the container until the free end of the outer tube member is relatively close to the bot- I tom of the container, and means for supplying a gaseous fluid to the tube when the 'outer tube member has come to rest in the container. I

5. Anapparatus for sterilizing and drying containers comprising, .a runway for supporting the containers in inverted positlon, means for advancing the containers along the runway, tubeslocated under-the runway with their upper ends below the path of travel of the openings of the containers, each telescoping a plurality of telescoping no 'i tube consisting of a stationary inner memher and a movable outer member, a bar on outer tube members up into the inverted containers until the upper ends of the outer tube members are relatively close to the inverted bottoms of the containers, means for supplying asterilizing fluid to one tube, and means for simultaneously supplying a drying fluid to another tube While the outer tube members are at the limit of their upward movement within the containers.

lURT E. TAYLOR. 

